Technopaedia —

One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)

One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is a non-profit organization that was established for the purpose of designing and producing low-cost mobile computing devices for education. The organization's initial goal was to develop a $100 laptop that could be sold in high volume to governments in developing countries for distribution to young students.

The group's first product was the XO-1, an innovative laptop that introduced several new technologies. It offered a ruggedized design, low power requirements, an unconventional mesh networking system, and a unique dual-mode display that supports full readability under direct sunlight when it is toggled into a high-resolution monochrome mode.

Although the OLPC organization had built its brand and identity around the "$100 laptop" pitch, the actual price at which they ended up selling the original XO was roughly $180. The price gradually climbed throughout the development phase, finally reaching $180 after several components were added that were not in the original product plan—such as a built-in camera.

The concept behind the XO laptop attracted considerable attention, but the product was met with limited success. OLPC had counted on economy of scale to bring the manufacturing costs down, but few governments were willing to commit to purchasing the laptop in sufficient quantity. In addition to poor sales, the organization also suffered a number of technical setbacks, logistical problems, and personnel issues.

Several additional variants of the original XO laptop were produced, but OLPC was not able to fully develop either of the two product designs that were conceived as XO successors—a dual-screen laptop and a flexible sheet-like tablet. A significant portion of the OLPC staff was cut in 2009 as the organization began shifting its focus towards less ambitious and more attainable goals. OLPC is currently partnering with Marvell to develop a more conventional low-cost tablet system for education.